Southwest Air tops in service, others lag on fees

No-frills Southwest Airlines Co again topped rivals in customer service while premium-paying business travelers are the least satisfied with U.S. carriers overall, a new survey showed on Tuesday.

Airlines maintained their low overall standing among a variety of industries included in the American Customer Satisfaction Index, which is compiled by the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.

There's been a bubbling discontent for airlines for some time but the situation has worsened slightly from a year ago, said ACSI managing director David VanAmburg.

Passenger satisfaction with airlines dropped by 1.5 percent to a score of 65 on ACSI's 100-point scale. Scores have generally hovered in the mid-to-low 60s for the past decade.

Travelers cited poor service, higher prices and fees for baggage and other services as the main causes of their discontent.